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Saturday, June 17, 2017

Franklin University, the university that hosts the Mosaic study abroad program, was a lovely and fascinating part of my experience in Switzerland. The campus is high in elevation, so it overlooks Lake Lugano, it is spaced out over a large area with pleasant walkways and beautiful scenery in between the classrooms and housing, it is conveniently located within walking distance to the downtown area (about a 15-20 minute walk), and it is located along a line of metro stops and and bus stops.

An outdoor class at the grotto:

roughly 80% of class time is spent outdoors

Dining at Franklin University was completely different from other schools I have attended. In place of a cafeteria, the university has a small restaurant-like dining area called the grotto. It is a stunning spot to have meals at, the university makes excellent use of it with events like the 4th of July BBQ, and the staff members are very hospitable.

View from student housing

The housing in Lugano is simple but very well maintained and safe. My room was the perfect fit for me, with a big window and a view overlooking the mountains and all the necessary amenities (a large desk, a closet, a comfortable bed, and a cupboard). The apartment was relatively large as well, with 4 bathrooms in a six-bedroom apartment, a large kitchen and even larger communal spaces on both floors where we often had 10-20 people over, a small balcony upstairs we would often times watch storms from, and very quick and easy accessibility to both the classrooms, convenient stores, and nightlife.